Proceedings of a Symposium on Ancient and Historic Metals organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute, November 1991

Edited by David A. Scott, Jerry Podany, and Brian B. Considine

The sixteen essays in this volume reflect a wide range of research
concerning methods for metals conservation, particularly in respect
to ancient and historic objects. The variety of issues discussed
includes considerations in the cleaning of ancient bronze vessels;
the processes involved in bronze casting, finishing, patination,
and corrosion; studies of manufacturing techniques of gold objects
in ancient African and medieval European metalworking; techniques
of mercury gilding in the 18th century; an investigation of patina
in the classification of bronze surfaces from land and lake environments;
an examination of bronze objects from the Benin Kingdom, Nigeria;
the history of restoration of the Marcus Aurelius monument in Rome;
the corrosion of iron in architecture; and applications of radiographic
tomography to the study of metal objects.

Accelerated Aging: Photochemical and Thermal Aspects by Robert L. Feller

The most recent volume in the Getty Conservation Institute's Research
in Conservation series, Accelerated Aging: Photochemical and
Thermal Aspects by Robert L. Feller, represents the culmination
of more than 40 years of research by this noted scientist. The book
focuses on the long-term performance of materials such as wool,
dyes, and organic compounds; their resistance to change when exposed
to environmental factors such as oxygen, ozone, moisture, heat,
and light; and their physical durability with handling and use over
time. Processes of deterioration are discussed based on speeded-up
laboratory studies designed to clarify the chemical reactions involved
and their physical consequences.

Matte Paint: Its History and Technology, Analysis, Properties,
and Conservation Treatment, with Special Emphasis on Ethnographic
Objects

A special bibliographic supplement to Art and Archaeology Technical
Abstracts, volume 30, 1993.

by Eric F. Hansen, Sue Walston and Mitchell Hearns Bishop

The 1,125 abstracts in this AATA supplement are introduced by a
62-page topical review that provides a guide to the range of literature
it contains. The review highlights references of special interest,
particularly with respect to the first three chapters, "History
and Technology," "Analysis," and "Properties." The supplement includes
considerable material from anthropology, ethnobiology, and coatings
science, fields whose literature has not previously been commonly
used by conservators. While the bibliography emphasizes ethnographic
objects because of the frequency with which their paint problems
are reported in the literature, similar problems are also found
with matte paints used in architecture, contemporary art, folk art,
and many other forms of applied art. The last chapter on "Treatment"
provides a general framework through which to pursue appropriate
responses to the wide variety of paint problems and treatment options.

The editors are Eric Hansen, an Associate Scientist at the GCI;
Sue Walston, the former Head of Materials Conservation at the Australian
Museum, Sydney; and Mitchell Hearns Bishop, a Research Coordinator
in the GCI's Documentation Program.

The catalogue to an exhibition held at Los Angeles City Hall
at the end of 1994, this powerful and evocative book captures Los
Angeles as seen through the eyes of the eight young people, ages
10 to 18, who were asked by the Getty Conservation Institute to
photograph what they considered landmarks of their own human and
physical environments, as well as public landmarks. For three months
beginning in the fall of 1993, they covered an area from South Central
to Beverly Hills, Hollywood to Venice, and East L.A. to Malibu.
The result is a diverse and remarkable collection of images and
words that expands our conventional notions of landmarks and provokes
a sense of wonder and introspection. More than a book of photographs,
it is a book of ideas that challenges us to reflect on how we are
marked by, and interpret, the environment we live in.